Dawn brought with it a wash of heat from the cloudy sky, a thin haze settling over Helix, drawing complaints from the wagon drivers gathering shipments for passage north, and from the merchants setting up their booths in the village square. The warmth seems to have subdued the settlement’s residents, each pursuing their morning tasks with little talk.

At the hall of the Mercenary Guild, Guildmaster Osen introduces the adventurers to four hirelings who have agreed to enter their service and stand guard at the camp in the Barrowmoor. Jiedrol Karsk is an auburn haired human female, skilled in the use of the halberd and other pole arms. She has worked extensively as a guard for the trade caravans traveling the Moon Peaks, carrying goods to and from the dwarven settlement there. Stralber Remmund is a bald human man with dark beard and a grim scar that runs from his forehead, across his nose, and down to his throat. He is a former soldier and recent veteran of fights with bandits and froglings.

Trisrel Yante, a fair haired elven female, is the quietest of the hirelings, though she respectfully answers every question posed to her. She is a skilled archer and, according to Osen, an expert at spotting and setting ambushes. Labin Cinderbrand, a young halfling man, is an able swordsman who is eager for adventure, even that which takes him into forbidding locales.

They are joined by a pair of men at arms who hail from Ironguard Motte, who journeyed overnight to reach Helix in response to Sir Dryvyk’s request for aid. Ocai Hanezen is an iron haired veteran of the northern wars who has, over the past decade, dedicated his sword to the service of St. Ygg. Nohvi Cein, by contrast, is a young man with blonde hair which is almost entirely white. In the wake of serving with militia in the hamlet he hails from, defending it from a bloody raid by lycanthropes, he dedicated himself to the church’s cause, in hopes of keeping other innocents safe.

It is Valeron, the village fletcher, who leads the expedition out onto the marsh that morning, though his job is a simple one as the adventurers know much of the way and have become accustomed to the inhospitable terrain’s hazards. The journey seems to pass quickly, the gathering halting only once when a series of deep croaks, unmistakably the calls of froglings, echo across the moor. The party never catches sight of any of the amphibious creatures, however.

It is still early in the day when the entrance to the Barrowmaze comes into view. A short distance away, the adventurers can see the opening into the tomb of the followers of Set, which appears much the same as when they first entered it, the corridor which leads to the stairs beyond veiled in shadow.

The area in front of the entrance chamber to the Barrowmaze has changed, however. A cart, constructed of moisture darkened wood, sits to the right of the portal into the catacombs, a long iron rod staked into the soil beside it, a lantern hanging from the rod. For the moment, the adventurers see no movement in the vicinity of the Barrowmaze, nor do they hear any sounds of activity.

"The Grak pack, staking its claim," Barnabus produces, having noted the cart and the lantern post. Its presence irritates him. What right do they have to mark their territory in so bold a fashion? Have they sounded out any of the barrow's secrets? Have they harkened to its whispered breaths? They'll get what's coming to them, he thinks, uncharitably.

He points to the nearby breached tomb: "We have unfinished business over yonder. Let's hope the mummy wasn't counting on a double feature." He doesn't know where that phrasing had come from, but he likes it.

Addressing the hirelings, he instructs them to go ahead and set up camp here (except for the sapper) and to "scream bloody murder" if they need aid.

Over to and into the tomb of Set.
Lvl 4 within sight, Dax.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:49, Fri 21 Apr 2023.

"I'll take a look." the dwarf says, and pads quietly over towards the cart, while the others work up towards what they hope will be the mummy's tomb.

”Scream bloody murder. Right. That should come naturally enough,” Labin says, as he draws camp supplies from the cart. Contemplating his own answer momentarily, he scowls. ”You don’t think we’ll actually have to do that, do you?” he asks Ocai Hanezen. The man-in-arms simply shrugs in reply.

Stralber Remmund draws his blade and follows a few steps behind Ishmael as the dwarf approaches the other adventuring company’s cart, his gaze fixed on the entrance to the catacombs.

What Ishmael finds falls in line with what he expected: a trio of tents, bedrolls, and a handful of tools for digging a fire pit and gathering wood. He sees nothing of great value in the cart, presuming that the Outriders’ most important possessions were likely carried with them into the Barrowmaze.

Taking a slow walk in front of the catacombs’ entrance, Trisrel halts at a thick stand of brush west of the opening.

”There are two bodies here,” she calls out, ”along with a pair of blankets. A man and a woman. It looks as though they were just carelessly thrown here. I don’t think whoever moved them intended to conceal them.”

From where he stands near the cart, Ishmael can see the hireling’s discovery. They are the bodies of Searlait and Kraomar.

Battist smiles to himself, humming an off tune song as his gathers his pack. He takes a flint and steel from a pouch at his belt, striking them together twice, producing sparks each time.

”Is it this way, m’lord?” he asks, nodding toward the tomb of the Set worshippers, ”The door you’re needing removed?”

Those adventurers who draw near to the tomb of the Set devotees can see the stairwell leading down into the barrow. They sight no movement or activity. No noises, save for that of dripping water, can be heard below.

Five steps down, a ragged piece of a linen wrapping rests on the stairs.

His feet taking him away from the bodies, Barnabas calls back, "Tidy them up. If we return, they'll return with us for burial in Helix."

Barnabus answers, "Hold your boom sticks, Battist. Can't let the cart get ahead of the horse. Grip a torch instead. We've got burning to do before booming."

If the sapper doesn't have a torch and a pint of oil, the curate provides him with one or both.

"Douse and burn, douse and burn," he grins.

At the entrance to the mummy's barrow, Barnabus gazes upon the scrap of wrapping with satisfaction. Unwrapping you will be our best present yet, he thinks, ready, finally, for his own red-letter day, no qualifications.

Into the central chamber.

"Watch yer step." The dwarf comments before he makes his way block to the tomb of Set.

Sir Dryvyk spoke briefly with the guardsmen, offering words of advice and encouragement. He then asked Andryr to join him along with the two newcomers from the Motte. Together they knelt apart from the others as Sir Dryvyk led them in a brief prayer to the Lord of Righteousness, seeking guidance and protection.

The young knight then arose and readied his shield.

"Another fine day for vanquishing evil from the world!" he declared as they descended once more.

Following the prayer, Ol Gib and the men-at-arms from Ironguard Motte move to help Trisrel in securing the bodies of the party’s hirelings.

Quiet envelops the company as they descend underground, the cold of the tomb quickly replacing the humid warmth from above. The adventurers, along with Battist, reach the barrow’s central chamber without incident, finding the ancient room the same as they left it, with a single exception.

The western door remains closed, two feet of stagnant water still gathered at the bottom of the stone stairs which lead to it. But on the sand colored stone of the door itself, a single symbol has been hastily painted with black pigment, a few drips from the scrawling descending the surface of the door.

”Stinks like the swamp down here,” Battist mutters, wrinkling his nose as he takes in the high ceilinged room.

Lowering his voice, Barnabus confers with the others.

"I don't think it went through there," he begins, pointing to the waterlogged (and now marked) door.

"I think it went through somewhere secret. Most like, there," he continues, pointing at the wall where the tapestry had been, "or in that next room on the west wall." (Room #4).

"Dunno. Sir, maybe you can sniff it out."

"Dax, see any scuffings?"

Before joining the search for hidden portals, he looks at the drippy marking on the sodden door.

Search for secret doors with the assistance of Sir's detect evil ability.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:59, Mon 24 Apr 2023.

A thorough search of the walls bordering the spacious chamber does not reveal the presence of any hidden portals.

Okay. Do any of us recognize the symbol?

"I didna think ta check if the mummy's boots were wet." the dwarf comments off hand.